The purpose of this study is to investigate whether treatment against intestinal helminths in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis undergoing chemotherapy could improve the clinical outcome by enhancing host immunity.

Albendazole 400mg per os for three consecutive days at week 2 and week 8 after initiation of chemotherapy against tuberculosis

Other Name: ALB

Placebo Comparator: Placebo

Placebo 400mg per os for three consecutive days

Drug: Placebo

Placebo 400mg per os for three consecutive days at week 2 and week 8 after initiation of chemotherapy against tuberculosis

Detailed Description:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis causing tuberculosis (TB) is a major global public health problem. Because of increasing multi drug resistance and the long treatment period of at least six months, new therapeutic options are urgently needed. In countries like Ethiopia where TB is endemic, chronic worm infection is also highly prevalent. Recent data support that helminth infection might limit the host response against TB by inhibition of the TH1-response that is crucial in controlling the disease. In this study we want to test the hypothesis that Albendazole treatment of patients coinfected with helminths and TB could improve clinical outcome in addition to chemotherapy against TB. Additionally we will investigate the immunological interactions between TB and chronic helminths infection.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 65 Years (Adult)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Informed and written consent to take part in the study

Newly diagnosed pulmonary TB patients according to the WHO definitions of active tuberculosis who have a positive stool sample for helminths other than Schistosoma spp.

Exclusion Criteria:

Pregnancy

Corticosteroid or antibiotic treatment

Symptomatic (diarrhoea) infection caused by worm infection

Chronic diseases or acute infectious diseases other than TB or HIV

Stool sample positive for Schistosoma spp

Contacts and Locations

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00857116